UCF student Carlos Beltran and his team of 15 computer enthusiasts spend about 20 hours a week working to keep computer systems safe from hackers.
UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition Team meets two nights a week and all day on Saturdays to practice against cyber attacks. That 麻豆精品 S檚 in addition to all their classes and other extracurricular activities. This is one dedicated group.
Things get intense during their practice sessions. The jargon flies as students click away on keyboards while Beltran tries to distract them by barking other instructions 麻豆精品 S攕uch as to create a website or set up a group email for a client. A few states away, an infiltrator is trying to break into their systems. The team reacts and races to secure the network before the hacker can do any damage.
麻豆精品 S淲e try to recreate a corporate environment here and simulate what their IT people face in the real world, 麻豆精品 S� Beltran said. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 great practice and gets us ready for competition. 麻豆精品 S�
The hard work has paid off. After being in existence for only a year, the team placed first in the Southeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition and 10th in the nation last year. The competition sponsors included the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Deloitte, Dell, Splunk, Walmart, Boeing, Juniper and McAfee among others.
麻豆精品 S淭heir dedication, professionalism, and teamwork is exceptional, 麻豆精品 S� said faculty sponsor and computer science lecturer Thomas Nedorost. 麻豆精品 S淭hey are passionate about what they are doing and it shows. 麻豆精品 S�
The team is gearing up for a new season, which begins March 8. If it wins the preliminary and regional rounds, it qualifies for another run at the national title in April.
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To see a video about the club
Beltran and several others founded the Collegiate Cyber Defense Club in 2012 with the goal of fostering an information security-aware generation in Central Florida. While they focus on competition, they also host weekly meetings to education the general public.
From recent attacks against Target and Nieman Marcus, where credit card and other personal information was stolen, to basic risks such as not securing your Wi-Fi connection at home, the team tries to educate the public by dropping the jargon and offering tips for the average person can use.
麻豆精品 S淭echnology has become a quintessential part of our everyday lives, 麻豆精品 S� said Heather Lawrence, who joined the club after attending one of the meetings last year. 麻豆精品 S淧eople use聽a credit card at a grocery store or to pay bills. Perhaps they聽shop online from time to time.聽You are just a Social Security number away from having your identity stolen.聽A mere nine digits.聽Computers can grant access to very sensitive聽information and it is in everyone’s best interest to take measures to protect that data. 麻豆精品 S�
It 麻豆精品 S檚 a message all members take to heart. The students prepare detailed presentations based on extensive research they do outside of class. Keeping the information accessible to everyone is a top priority for members. The club meetings typically draw 60 to 100 students each week.
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The students say they get a lot out of the time they invest in the club meetings and the competition team. One big benefit is the opportunity to network with potential future employers.
Security professionals from Grooveshark, Raytheon and Protiviti among others have presented to the club. Beltran said he 麻豆精品 S檚 currently scheduling additional industry speakers for this semester.
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